Dangerous Games
by FoxInBox aka FIB
Summary: Natsume is clutched in the jaws of the true form of the creature he has trusted for so long, and Natori feels fury curl in his chest, along with a deep and aching sorrow. This will destroy Natsume, to have his beast and all the beings he had probably counted as friends turn on him like this. Natsume Week 2017 Prompt Fill


It is the shaking of the earth that draws his attention. Natori isn't quite certain what could be causing it, but it's near the place where Natsume lives, and he has the sinking feeling that the boy is somehow involved. Any time there is trouble in this area, Natsume always seems to find himself in the middle of it.

The shadows of the trees stretch long and dark in the golden light of evening, and though it is beautiful, it is somehow also ominous. He considers calling for his shiki but decides against it. They are still tired, still hurting from a particularly difficult job just two days before. Instead, he creates a quick seal to hide his presence and keeps the spell to call for Hiiragi on his tongue, just in case. He hopes that he will not need it, but accepts that it is always best to be prepared.

From somewhere up ahead, he hears a bellow, loud and full of anger. It is enough to raise goosebumps, to freeze him where he stands. An age-old instinct wells inside him, urging him to turn and run, or to hide and pray that whatever it was that made the sound does not find him. He fights the urge, beating it down and telling himself that this is his _job._ This is normal, and he cannot run from it.

Still, if whatever youkai it was that made that sound is able to raise such an overwhelming instinct within someone as powerful and experienced as he is, he knows that he must pursue it and make sure that it is not a danger to those living here. Even with that in mind, he finds himself struggling to move forward, struggling to even stand on shaking legs.

The scream is what breaks him from his trance and propels him forwards. He curses under his breath, because he recognizes the sound of that scream, and if Natsume is making such a ruckus then something must truly be wrong.

As he wheels around the bend in the road, he forces himself to duck into the shelter of the trees and the deep shadows they cast. He will not do anyone any good if he manages to get himself killed by a rabid youkai. So he takes a second to watch, to assess the situation and try to figure out the best way to help.

What he sees makes him freeze, face paling. He balls his hands into fists to keep them from trembling and feels his breath catch in his throat, because even if he were with his shiki, even if he was with ten more powerful exorcists, he knows that it would do no good. The sheer amount of power he feels roiling from within the small clearing is nearly enough to drive him to his knees and to steal the breath from his very lungs.

Natsume is clutched in the jaws of the true form of the creature he has trusted for so long, arms pinned to his sides, legs kicking wildly as he twists and yells, trying desperately to escape. All around him are youkai, small and large, weak and powerful. More are gathering along the treeline to watch, whispering among themselves. Not a single one steps forward to help. Most are even _cheering_ , faces split wide into their own ghastly equivalents of smiles, voices raised high in encouragement for the beast.

It is the worst kind of betrayal. Natori feels fury curl in his chest, along with a deep and aching sorrow. This will destroy Natsume, to have his beast and all the beings he had probably counted as friends turn on him like this.

(He ignores the voice that says, _if he survives_ , and the one that whispers, _it might be for the best, if he stopped trusting ayakashi,_ and instead focuses on creating a plan to get Natsume safely out, even if he destroys himself in the process.)

Natori feels his fingernails dig into the flesh of his palms, takes a deep breath, and steadies himself. If he can somehow distract them, then Natsume may be able to free himself and escape. He can only pray that such a simple solution will work and that the boy will take the initiative to run.

He readies himself to call for Hiiragi, his trembling hands curling around the seals he hopes will at least do some harm against the powerful creatures gathered in the sunlit clearing, when Natsume wriggles one arm free and punches the great beast. It disappears with a yowl and a puff of smoke and a silence falls in the clearing. Before the smoke has even cleared a new cheer goes up and Natori is left watching, open mouthed, as Natsume is hoisted up above the group.

Even though he makes a show of protesting the treatment, the boy is _laughing_ , as though he hadn't been literally within the jaws of a beast who had sworn to protect him mere seconds before. It's like the enormous teeth haven't even phased him, like this is somehow _normal_. Natori wonders if Natsume even realizes how close he had been to dying.

He doesn't remove his hand from the seals, but Natori also does not burst into the clearing as he had been planning on doing. Instead, he continues to watch and feels ice trickle down his spine.

An enormous youkai, caught somewhere between a horse and some other beast, rears it's head. Wind whips through the clearing at the movement, as though the beast itself somehow controls it. Natori never knew the sound of jingling bells could be so very ominous. The beast's mouth does not move but he somehow knows that this enormous, echoing voice cannot belong to any other creature in the clearing.

"Natsume-dono has won," he announces, eyes gleaming.

Natori feels his own eyes widen as he mouths, "Natsume- _dono?_ " He knows that some of the creatures here respect the boy just as much as they use him, but to hear a youkai that powerful referring to Natsume as such is, frankly, surprising. Usually such powerful ones are much too proud for such deference.

Natsume laughs again, demanding to be let down. The youkai comply and immediately propose sake in celebration of his victory over Madara. As Natori watches, Natsume pushes away the sake and allows the cat-like form of the beast _whose mouth he was just in_ to crawl into his lap.

Slowly, the gathered youkai settle down to drink and eat, their treats pulled seemingly from the air. Natori watches in horror as Natsume willingly eats the offered food, chatting calmly with the creatures great and small that surround him. They all seem at peace in one another's presence, and though they often get grabby with the boy, a single word from Natsume sets them right again.

It's something incredible and humbling to watch; Natori has never seen any human who has such complete devotion from youkai. Not an exorcist to their shiki, or any human with sight to the youkai they may come into contact with.

Natsume, though, has managed to win the loyalty of not just a few low-level ayakashi, but that of dozens, as well as what looks to be a good number of powerful ones as well. Without ever realizing it, Natsume has amassed an army that could easily have the whole of the exorcist community falling to their knees.

Natsume finds himself further and further entrenched in the world of spirits, a world that no one else can touch, a place that Natori cannot ever fully reach. It is terrifying to watch, to know that Natsume slips away a little more each and every moment he spends in the company of these beings. Natori watches Natsume laugh, easy in a way that he has never seen, and wonders if he is too late to pull the boy back from that ledge.

(He wonders if that is truly what would be best for Natsume. He wishes it was easier to look at the world in terms of _humans_ and _monsters_ , instead of a thousand shades of grey and in-betweens. Natsume really has ruined him.)

He watches for another few moments, just to assure himself that his young friend really is safe in this hoard of ayakashi. He sends a talisman that will come to alert Natori when Natsume arrives safely back into the loving folds of the Fujiwara household once more, just to set his own mind at ease. Then, with a soft sigh and a put-upon smile, Natori leaves Natsume with his friends.

(He misses the youkai that watches him go with sharp eyes that glint in the golden sunlight. Her lips curl into a smile, revealing teeth that might just be a little too sharp, as she blows an elegant cloud of poisonous-smelling smoke, thick and cloying. She waits for Natori to disappear, back to the path and well on his way towards town, before she leaps gracefully from the tree and goes to join the festivities.

The sharpness is gone by the time she enters Natsume's line of sight, replaced by wide smiles and exuberant words of praise. She has a good idea what might have been happening inside the exorcist's head, but she will gladly keep the boy insides her own world for as long as she can manage. By the knowing looks the others send her, she is not alone in this sentiment.

Natsume is _theirs_ , and even if he allows himself to be swept away by human attachments, nothing will change that fact.)

* * *

 **I just barely made it, but here it is! The prompt for Natume Week day 3 was Favorite Chapter/Episode/Arc. I decided to use the season finale of season 3, Natsume Yujin-cho San, Natsume's Book of Play. It's such a wholesome episode. (And I went and spoiled it by making an exorcist stumble upon it and realize that if Natsume ever went dark side they'd all be in deep deep trouble.)**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought. I'll see you again tomorrow! Maybe...**


End file.
